PUPILS from various schools in York teamed up for a phone-tastic art project, which helped them make new friends and develop important skills.

The York Independent State School Partnership (ISSP) art project involved 18 pupils creating an eight foot by four foot iPhone with 28 interchangeable apps, based on the exciting style of the Austrian artist, Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

The artwork features a map of York as the background wallpaper and the 28 apps are all separate and hang in position.

The pupils chose York attractions such as The Minster, Clifford’s Tower, the City Art Gallery, Betty’s and the Theatre Royal for the apps, which were painted in Hendertwasser’s style.

The project, held at York’s Manor Academy, was led by Phil Norton, subject leader for art and design at York’s All Saint’s RC School.

He said: “The pupils worked very effectively together and completed the project during a four-day workshop.

“The students made new friends and developed skills in problem solving, project management and many other areas.”

Mr Norton says he plans to enter the artwork in the York Culture Awards under the education category. The pupils were from All Saints, Bootham, Manor, Joseph Rowntree, Millthorpe, Canon Lee and Archbishop Holgate’s schools.

The York ISSP runs various masterclasses every summer and throughout the school year.

Mr Norton said: “The good thing about ISSP is that it brings pupils together from different schools and different backgrounds.

“It also brings teachers together. I was working with six different teachers who were running their courses. It’s just nice to have an informal chat when it is not as pressurised as teaching can be during the school year.”